Memo stand



July 18, 1939. M, E, N AN 2,166,131

"MEMO STAND Filed Nov. 25, 1936 Alarm 72 5. 1712170512 Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED PATENT OFFECE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to memo stands of that type which is adapted to present, in writing position on a writing surface, a portion of a paper ribbon, and to feed the paper step by step,

1 past the writing point into proximity to a tearing edge.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide feeding means remotely controlled through actuation by the writing hand, for frictionally engaging the paper and moving it a line at a time past the writing point.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a paper feeding memo stand, of remotely actuated feeding means constructed to resolve 71 the actuating force into two components, one imposing sufiicient frictional pressure upon the paper to hold it, and the other acting in a direction substantially parallel to the paper for moving it.

A further object of the invention is to provide in paper feeding means as above described, means for automatically increasing that component of the actuating force which holds the paper, after initial engagement of the feeding means with the paper, by opposing resistance to that component of the actuating force which moves the paper.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment of the invention proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specification and throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of amemo stand embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the feeding means in one extreme position of its travel range;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view; and V Figure 4 is a detail View in section showing the feeding means in the opposite extreme position of its range of travel.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral 1 represents a frame consisting of a fiat base 2 and upstanding sides 3, the sides being more elevated adjacent the back than at the front so as to slope toward the front and provide it with a writing top t. The apices 5 of the sides 3 are formed with notches 6 receiving the spindle l of a roll of paper ribbon 8. Figure 2 shows that the paper ribbon 8, unwound from the roll 5 passes within the frame I to a roller 9 adjacent the front end of the frame thence upward, supported by the writing top 4 beneath a metal bridge I0 having a tearing edge II on one side and a back stop l2 on the other. The writing top 4 is provided with a slot l3 beneath the back stop I2.

Beneath the writing top and secured to the underside thereof is a guide plate M in which slides a carriage 15, the carriage having an extending lug I 6 affording support for a rocking lever ll pivotally mounted to the lug it as at IS. The rocking lever IT has a pusher 19 having a friction tip 20 of rubber or the like, in registry with the slot l3. The rocking lever is actuated by means of a bell crank 2| pivoted in the frame at 22 having an exposed bar 23 adapted to be pressed by the heel of the hand while the latter is in writing position. The forward end of the bell crank 2| is connected by means of a link 24 with one end of a rocking lever 25, the other end of which is in turn connected to a link 26 with the end of the rocking lever l'l opposite the pusher 19. The bell crank 2! is normally maintained in depressed position against a stop 21 by means of a spring 28, and is raised from said stop against the tension of said spring by depression of the bar 23. When the bell crank is elevated it rocks the upper end of the lever in a clockwise direction, drags the carriage i5 forward and at the same time rocks the lever 11 so as to bring the tip 20 of the pusher into contact with the paper, cramping it against the back stop l2.

An analysis of this action shows that the actuating force imparted through the bell crank it is resolved into two components, one of which moves the pusher into contact with the paper and the other of which moves the carriage in a direction toward the paper ribbon roll 8. It will be readily understood that just as soon as the pusher engages the paper, the entire actuating force would then be transferred to the carriage if the latter were freely movable so that the pusher would not engage the paper with sufficient frictional pressure to hold it as the pusher moves along. Means is therefore provided for retarding the sliding movement of the carriage, said means comprising a resilient tongue 29 secured to the rear of the lug l6 and cooperating with a perforation 33 in the adjacent portion of the carriage to form a ball pocket in which a ball 3| is freely confined. The trailing end 32 of the tongue 29 inclines toward the carriage so as to cramp the ball between itself and the base of the guide plate i5 which is exposed through the perforation 30. Normally, the ball-confining space is large enough to permit the ball freely to roll. As soon as the carriage starts to move forward, the trailing end of the tongue forces the ball into braking contact with the guide plate M and retards the movement of the carriage so that the pusher is forced intimately against the paper. The carriage however moves forward, burdened. by the braking friction, the pusher carrying the paper along. When the bar 23 is released, the bell crank lever 25 rocks in the opposite direction, first permitting the tip 20 of the pusher l9 to come away from the paper and then causing the carriage to recede to its normal position, the ball being rolled into the wide part of the confining space in readiness to once again perform its retarding action when the ball 23 is. next actuated.

As shown in the drawing, the slot adjacent the roller 9 through which the paper ribbon issues is preferably covered and concealed by a bridge piece 33.

While I have in the above disclosure described what I believe to be a preferred and practical enbodiment of the invention, it will be understood to those skilled in the art that the details of construction and the arrangement of parts as shown are to be regarded as by way of example rather than as limiting the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Memo stand comprising a hollow frame having a writing top, said frame being adapted to carry a roll of paper adjacent one end for supplying paper ribbon to said writing top, said writing top being provided adjacent the end remote from said roll with a slot through which said paper ribbon issues from within said frame, an actuating lever at the end of said frame remote from said roll adapted to be actuated by the heel of the writing hand, said writing top being formed with an elongated aperture at some point between said slot and said roll, a back stop secured to said writing top and in spaced relation thereto above said aperture between which back stop and said writing top the paper ribbon passes, and feeding means within said frame actuated by said lever, said feeding means comprising an element constructed to swing against said paper ribbon, when actuated, at a point between itself and said back stop, gripping said paper ribbon, and to slide with said paper ribbon upon inhibition of its gripping movement.

2. Memo stand as claimed in claim 1, said feeding means comprising a carriage, a rocking lever pivoted relative to said carriage and lying normally beneath the plane of that portion of the paper ribbon exposed through said aperture and means for resolving the actuating force into two components, one of which rocks said lever into engagement with said paper through said aperture and the other of which slides said carriage forward while said rocking lever is in engagement with said paper, moving the latter.

3. Memo stand as claimed in claim 1, said feeding means comprising a guide within said frame on the underside of said writing top, a carriage slidable in said guide in a direction longitudinally of said frame, a rocking lever pivoted relative to said carriage lying normally beneath the plane of that portion of the paper ribbon exposed through said .aperture and beneath said bridge piece, said rocking lever being provided with a friction tip, linkage connecting said operating lever and said feeding means, said linkage being so constructed and disposed as to resolve the actuating force into two components, one of which rocks said lever bringing said friction tip into engagement with said paper through said aperture and against said bridge, and the other of which slides said carriage forward while said rocking lever is in engagement with said paper, moving the latter.

4. In combination with a memo stand comprising a frame having a writing top, said frame being adapted to carry a roll of paper at one end, a slot adjacent the other end and a direction changing roller adjacent said slot adapted to cooperate with a paper ribbon from said roll extending within said frame through said slot and around said direction changing roller in 00- incidence with said writing top, the latter being provided with an elongated aperture beneath said paper ribbon, a bridge piece secured to said writing top and in spaced relation thereto having a portion forming a back stop for the unsupported portion of the paper ribbon which overlies said aperture, feeding means for moving the paper step by step including a guide fixed beneath said writing top, a carriage sliding longitudinally with respect to said guide, a lever pivoted to said carriage having a friction tip normally lying beneath the plane of said paper, actuating means engageable by the writing hand, and means connecting said actuating means to said lever, said connecting means being so disposed as to resolve the actuating force into two components, one of which rocks the friction tip of said lever into cramping relation with said paper against said back stop, and the other of which slides said carriage forward while said friction tip is in engagement with said paper, moving the latter.

5. Memo stand as claimed in claim 4, the forward portion of said bridge piece being formed as a tearing edge.

6. Memo stand as claimed in claim 4, said feeding means including a brake for said carriage operative upon engagement of said tip with said paper to retard said carriage thereby increasing the value of that component of the transmitting force which engages the paper, ensuring the unitary movement of said paper with said tip.

7. Memo stand as claimed in claim 4, including a brake for said carriage for increasing that component of the actuating force which engages said friction tip with said paper, said brake comprising a normally loose rolling element confined between a fixed portion of said memo stand and an inclined cam element on said carriage whereby when said carriage starts to move forward, said rolling element wedges between said fixed portion and said cam element retarding said carriage.

8. Memo stand as claimed in claim 4, including a shield on said writing top enclosing said slot and said direction changing roller.

9. Memo stand comprising a hollow frame having a writing top adapted to support a sheet of paper, said writing top having an aperture adapted to be overlain by the paper, and a back stop confronting said aperture, spaced from said writing top sufiiciently to allow movement of said paper between said back stop and aperture, a friction pusher within said frame operating within the area of said aperture, normally positioned below the plane of the paper, actuating means including a hand depressible element adjacent said writing top, and means carrying said friction pusher, operated by said actuating means, constructed first to move said pusher into contact with said paper against said back stop,

and then upon meeting the resistance of said back stop, to move said pusher and paper rectilinearly with respect to said writing top.

10. Memo stand of that type which carries a reel of paper ribbon and feeds the ribbon to a writing point, said memo stand comprising a hollow stand having a writing top, said writing top having an opening and a rigid back stop for said opening slightly spaced above the plane of said writing top to let the paper ribbon slide between said back stop and said opening, on said writing top toward said writing point, and means mounted within said frame movable into engagement with the paper ribbon exposed through said opening for gripping said paper ribbon against said back stop, and having a sliding movement in the longitudinal direction of said paper ribbon, initiated through the inhibition of the paper gripping movement by said back stop, for moving said paper ribbon longitudinally, and an actuating lever for said means. MERRITT E. DUNCAN. 

